It looks like there will be only one outlet mall along Hwy. 401 in Halton Hills.
Last March it was announced that both Calloway REIT and RioCan REIT had plans to open outlet centres in the 401 Corridor area. Calloway is going ahead with its centre— Toronto Premium Outlets— at Trafalgar Rd. and Hwy. 401, but it appears RioCan, which had partnered with Tanger Factory Outlet Centers Inc. to build the first Tanger Outlet Centre in the Greater Toronto Area along the 401 at James Snow Parkway in Halton Hills, is not going forward with that centre.
At that time RioCan/Tanger announced it had entered into an agreement to purchase a 35-acre parcel at that location for the centre, but Town of Halton Hills Economic Development Officer Doug Penrice said Monday the companies “didn’t proceed with an offer on that property.”
Penrice said the firms haven’t made any application on the property so at this point the Town can only assume they aren’t going forward with the mall there.
Penrice said earlier this year RioCan/Tanger announced it had formed a partnership with Orlando Corporation to develop designer outlets at Mississauga’s Heartland Town Centre. The companies plan to add another 312,000 sq. ft. to the centre’s two million sq. ft. of big box retail space.
Construction is underway on Toronto Premium Outlets in Hornby, which is slated to open next summer.
In March 2012 RioCan and Calloway had become embroiled in a legal battle that was resolved relatively quickly when a settlement was reached.
RioCan withdrew its court application asking the court to quash the bylaws passed by the Town to enable construction of the 450,000 sq. ft. $170 million Calloway mall. Calloway withdrew its outstanding appeals before the Ontario Municipal Board related to RioCan’s development proposal.
At press time, Ed Sonshine, CEO of RioCan REIT, could not be reached for comment.